x
Breaking News
More () »

Squatter's Rights: How someone in Texas can claim your house as their own

It is not a crime in Texas for someone to claim your house as their own. State lawmakers finally plan to fix it.

DALLAS — Someone illegally enters your property, refuses to leave and takes it over as their own. It’s easy to get rid of them in a "stand-your-ground state" like Texas, right? 

Actually, no. Not at all. 

In fact, squatting isn’t even a crime in Texas. 

Furthermore, lawmakers just learned that there are hundreds of cases involving squatting in North Texas, along with thousands more in the Houston area and more than 10,000 in total statewide. 

In this episode of Y’all-itics, a North Texas homeowner tells us why she thinks squatters would be better described as "invaders." Why? Because, after a squatter turned her home into a biohazard, she still can’t get into it a year later. 

In addition to hearing from a victim, the Jasons also spoke in this episode to a State Senator who calls the situation a "zoo," and explains what lawmakers plan to do to start fixing the problem and give homeowners more rights than squatters. 

Listen to the episode above.

And, remember, you can catch a video version of Y’all-itics on Wednesdays at 8:30pm on WFAA+, too. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out